(717)737-9068 Free Consultation * 24 Hour Services Available 

"For appointments in Pennsylvania please click here"
Home
 Table of Contents
 Emotional Problems
  Anger
  Anxiety
  Depression
  Frustration
  Grief
  Guilt
  Lack of Confidence
  Self-Esteem
  Stress
 Eating Disorders
  Anorexia
  Bulimia
  Binge Eating
  Eating and Weight
  Emotional Eating

  Excess Weight

  Weight Control

 Relationships
  Co-dependency
  Loneliness
  Loved Ones
  Rejection
  Separation / Divorce
 Addictions
  Drug and Alcohol
  Food
  Gambling
  Internet
  Sex / Pornography
  Spending / Shopping
  Work
Behavioral Problems
  ADD
  ADHD
  Adjustment Disorder
  Bipolar
  Borderline
  Conduct Disorders
  Explosive Disorder
  Hypochondria
  Kleptomania
  Mania
  Multiple Personality
  Obsessive/Compulsive
  PTSD
  Schizophrenia
  Sleep Disorders
 Phobias and Fears
  Fears and Phobias
  Acrophobia
  Agoraphobia
  Claustrophobia
  Monophobia
  Panic Attacks
  Phobias
  Social Phobia
  Performance Anxiety
  List Of Phobias
 Sexual Concerns
  Sexual Concerns (M)
  Sexual Concerns (F)
  Bisexuality
  Exhibitionism
  Fetishism
  Frotteurism
  Gay and Lesbian
  Gender Identity Issues
  Sadomasochism
  Sexual Orientation
  Voyeurism
  List of Paraphilias
Helpful Information
  Aging
  Communication Skills
  Non-Verbal Comm...
  Personal Growth
  Skill Enhancement
Adoption / Infertility
  Adoption
  For Adoptees
  For Adopting Persons
  For Birth Parents
  Infertility
Privacy
Loved Ones:  Relationship and Marriage Problems

Relationship And Marriage Problems

Loved Ones:  Relationship and Marriage Problems

Relating to, and/or being intimate with, another person can be very satisfying and can help us establish and maintain good mental health.  At other times these relationships can be very difficult and destructive.

Relationship Problems

Most people, probably like you, are managing many relationships on an ongoing basis--relationships with a loved one, with children, other family members, friends, work relationships, and a romantic relationship. Each of these relationships can be a source of love, pleasure, support and excitement; however they can also be a source of grief and anguish if they are heading in an unhealthy direction. Each of our relationships has its demands and potential problems and each has the potential to influence the way we feel at any given time. 

Regardless of the cause, distress in a relationship can lead to many problems including codependency, loneliness, stress, fear, depression and anxiety just to mention a few.  If you are having ongoing problems in any of your relationships, there is help available. The earlier you seek help the better since an earlier, rather than later, intervention will prevent the problem(s) from getting worse. 

Relationship problems sometimes arise because we never learned what to do or not to do, or problems arise because we have lost touch with our instinctive good sense and have become over-anxious about the relationship. Maybe you have lost your own self-respect and sense of our personal worth, or have had unfortunate experiences in past relationships and have temporarily lost your ability to trust, or maybe you have unrealistic expectations about what you should be getting from, or giving to, a relationship.

Helpful Tips Regarding Relationship Issues

Here are some helpful things to keep in mind when you have a relationship problem:

· People are in relationships with one another for all kinds of reasons. While most of the time it's our closest relationships that cause us the most stress, even the most casual relationships with others can affect the way we feel about a situation or about ourselves. Understanding your own role in a relationship, learning to sustain healthy relationships, and choosing to end (or not enter) unhealthy ones, are skills that can be learned but often take time and practice.

· There are two sides in every relationship. When things are going poorly, remember that the other person has his or her own story about what is happening, and that story makes sense to him or her too. Resolving a relationship problem frequently requires each person coming to understand the other's perspective and, whenever possible, doing what it takes to bring the relationship back into a respectful balance. 

· People in successful relationships need to accept individual differences and not try to force others to be someone they are not.

· People need to get rid of the expectation that someone else will solve all our problems or meet all our need. No one relationship can give you everything that you need. Likewise, you cannot be the sole support for someone else. It takes some careful balancing to manage multiple relationships in a healthy manner.

· Get clear about what you believe the problem to be. Sometimes a person is not sure why they are upset, but know something is wrong or is missing.

· Each person in the relationship has their own set of needs, dreams, expectations and goals which they need to be aware of, and need to be able to express to others. Unstated expectations can be problematic. People in relationship (e.g. friends, lovers, partners, parents, and children) often have different ideas about what the nature of the relationship is, or different expectations about what it takes to keep it healthy. It is better to know where the differences of opinion, expectations, or needs are, rather than to operate on inaccurate assumptions.

· A successful relationship needs to focus on the present and not repeatedly pick over past events or focus on unrealistic future events.

· Asking for help is okay, and sometimes necessary. If a relationship is valuable and you are having difficulty finding a solution, ask for help.

No matter the cause, distress in a relationship can lead to many problems including codependency, stress, unhappiness, depression, fear, and anxiety.   You may hope your relationship troubles just go away on their own, but a troubled relationship may only worsen.

Treatment of Relationship Problems

In helping my clients I have found that there are many treatment strategies available to help a person, couple, or family who is having relationship problems. These strategies include individual psychotherapy, counseling, personal coaching, mediation, couples counseling, and family therapy. All of these strategies can help resolve conflicts, help heal wounds, and put a relationship back on a healthy track and help keep it positive.

Tackling problems early is important since the longer a problem is left unresolved, the harder it usually is to resolve. Improving a relationship can start with the individual and, if possible, extend to the other person(s) in the relationship. If at least one person is clear and reasoned about what they want and more consistent about how they ask for it, the whole relationship can begin to be put on a healthier foundation.

In romantic and intimate relationships, working with both partners may be necessary. You and your significant other need to understand that each of you have your own set of needs, expectations, hopes and dreams.  You need to be aware of these and be able to express them to each other.  Unstated expectations can be a real problem. You and your partner may have different ideas about what the nature of your relationship is and different thoughts and feelings regarding what it takes to keep the relationship active and healthy.

Marriage or couples counseling can help you rebuild and strengthen your relationship. Or the counseling may help you decide that you both will be better off if you drastically alter or end the relationship. Couples, marriage, and family counseling can give you the tools to communicate better, negotiate differences, problem solve, love and even argue in a healthier way. 

I have been able to help my clients change, rebuild, and strengthen their relationships with loved ones or help them to determine if they should end the relationship.  Couples, marriage, family and individual counseling can give you the understanding, tools and techniques to communicate better, negotiate differences, solve problems, love and even fight in a healthier way.  Asking for help is often difficult but sometimes necessary. If a relationship is valuable and you are having difficulty, help can be just a call away.

Treatment can be short term, often helping you in only a few sessions to get through a crises or specific problem, or you may need counseling over a longer period of time, particularly if your relationship has greatly deteriorated.

Additional Information

For more information about relationship, couples, family and/or intimacy problems, please click on the linked websites listed below.

 Family dynamics
 Mental help: relationship issues
 About.marriage: marriage problems

Would You Like Personal Assistance?

If you really want help dealing with your feelings and emotions, changing your behavior, and improving your life and the approach and office hours of typical therapists and counselors do not fit your life style or personal needs, I may have a solution.

By using very flexible office appointments, telephone consultations, email, teleconferences, and the willingness to travel and meet with you personally in your home, office, or other location, I can be available to help you anytime and anywhere.

Feel free to contact me now for your free initial consultation. Once you become an existing client, you will be given a pager number where you can reach me whenever you need.

  Contact Dr. Berger
F.A.Q.
Help is Available
  Who I Can Help
  How I Can Help
  What You Can Do
  Fees
  About Dr Berger
What Is a
  Psychologist
  Psychiatrist
  Clinical Psychologist
  Educational Psych...
  Forensic Psychologist
  School Psychologist
  Social Worker
  Life Coach
  Personal Coach
  Executive Coach
  Therapist
  Mental Health Prof...
  Pastoral Counselor
  DSM-IV
Types of Treatment
  Behavioral Therapy
  Biofeedback
  Cognitive Behavioral
  Desensitization
  Electroconvulsive
  Gestalt Therapy
  Hypnotherapy
  Neurolinguistic
  Psychoanalysis
  Psychotherapy
  Rational Emotive
  Reality Therapy
  Family Therapy
  Group Therapy
 Tests
  Intelligence (IQ)
  Myers-Briggs
  MMPI
  Neuropsych
  Rorschach (inkblot)
 Famous Psychologists
  Allport, Gordon
  Beck, Aaron
  Binet, Alfred
  Chomsky, Noam
  Ellis, Albert
  Erikson, Erik
  Erickson, Milton
  Freud, Sigmund
  Fromm, Erich
  Glasser, William
  Harlow, Harry
  Jung, Carl
  Kinsey, Alfred
  Laing, R.D.
  Leary, Timothy
  Lewin, Kurt
  Perls, Fritz
  Maslow, Abraham
  May, Rollo
  Piaget, Jean
  Pavlov, Ivan
  Rogers, Carl
  Satir, Virginia
  Skinner, B. F.
  Wolpe, Joseph
Contact
  Psych Associations
  Disclaimer
  Privacy
 
Psychologist
Anywhere Anytime
                                    Copyright 2005 Dr Vincent Berger                                     

 

Psychologists and Psychologist
Psychologists Psychologist
 Psychologists Allentown Pennsylvania Psychologists Hermitage Pennsylvania Psychologists Penn Hills Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Altoona Pennsylvania Psychologists Highspire Pennsylvania Psychologists Philadelphia Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Baldwin Pennsylvania Psychologists Johnstown Pennsylvania Psychologists Phoenixville Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Bethel Park Pennsylvania Psychologists King of Prussia Pennsylvania Psychologists Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Bethlehem Pennsylvania Psychologists Lancaster Pennsylvania Psychologists Plum Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Black Mountain Pennsylvania Psychologists Lansdale Pennsylvania Psychologists Pottstown Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Camp Hill Pennsylvania Psychologists Lebanon Pennsylvania  Psychologists Progress Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Carlisle Pennsylvania Psychologists Lemoyne Pennsylvania Psychologists Radnor Township Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Chambersburg Pennsylvania Psychologists Levittown Pennsylvania Psychologists Reading Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Chester Pennsylvania Psychologists Marysville Pennsylvania Psychologists Ross Township Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Colonial Park Pennsylvania  Psychologists McCandless Pennsylvania Psychologists Rutherford Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Drexel Hill Pennsylvania Psychologists McKeesport Pennsylvania Psychologists Scott Township Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Easton Pennsylvania Psychologists Monroeville Pennsylvania Psychologists Scranton Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Enola Pennsylvania Psychologists Mount Lebanon Pennsylvania Psychologists Shaler Township Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Erie Pennsylvania Psychologists Mountain Top Pennsylvania Psychologists Sharon Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Greensburg Pennsylvania Psychologists Murrysville Pennsylvania Psychologists Springfield Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Hampton Pennsylvania Psychologists New Castle Pennsylvania Psychologists State College Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Hanover Pennsylvania Psychologists Norristown Pennsylvania Psychologists Steelton Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Hazleton Pennsylvania Psychologists Penbrook Pennsylvania Psychologists Upper St Clair Pennsylvania
 Psychologists West Chester Pennsylvania Psychologists Wilkinsburg Pennsylvania Psychologists Willow Grove Pennsylvania
 Psychologists West Mifflin Pennsylvania Psychologists Williamsport Pennsylvania Psychologists York Pennsylvania
 Psychologists Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania  
Psychologists
Psychologists PA
Psychologists Pennsylvania